1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to prescription filling apparatus and, more particularly, to apparatus of the type that employ a robot arm, computer controlled gripper, or the like.
2. Description of the Background
In the pharmaceutical industry, many different types of pills must be quickly dispensed into vials to efficiently provide prescription services to patients. Several automated prescription filling devices have been patented. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,812 is directed to a pill dispensing system having a semi-circular shaped shelving unit that holds a number of bulk containers in an array, with each bulk container holding a bulk amount of a pill to be dispensed. A computer controlled robot removes a selected bulk container and places the container on a counter/pill dispensing unit. The robot also retrieves an empty vial, places it on a label printing and applying unit, and then positions the labeled vial at the counter/dispensing unit to receive a predetermined number of the selected pills. The filled and labeled vial is placed on a short output conveyor which moves the vial outside of the pill dispensing system. A system of this type is sometimes referred to as a pick-and-place system because the robot arm picks various items, such as the bulk containers and vials, and places them where needed, e.g. the counter/dispensing unit, the label printing and applying unit, or the output conveyor.
Another example of an automated prescription filling station is U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,762. That patent discloses a method and apparatus for filling prescriptions based on an assembly line technique. Various drugs are stored in three or more filler lines. A vial size is assigned to each line. When a prescription is filled, it is automatically assigned to a line based on of the vial size requirements and processed accordingly. Provisions are made for the inability to fill a prescription or order. Subsequently, all of a patient's prescriptions are collected and made available.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,919 discloses an automatic prescription dispensing system that includes a housing or frame having a plurality of pill dispenser units mounted therein, a plurality of vial supply assemblies at one end of the housing, and a filled vial offload carousel at an opposite end. A vial manipulator assembly is mounted on the housing to enable movement of a vial manipulator frame vertically and horizontally and pivoting about a vertical axis to retrieve vials from the supply assemblies, fill the vials at the dispenser units, and deposit the filled vials onto the carousel. The vial manipulator frame includes spring loaded grippers to engage and carry the vials and a drive motor and gear for meshing with dispenser unit gears to operate the dispenser units. The system includes a controller including an interface for coupling to the printer port of a pharmacy host computer printer port for intercepting drug name and quantity data for a prescription which was directed to a prescription label printer. Such prescription data is used by the controller for selecting the dispenser unit having the required drug, vial size, and number of pills to be dispensed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,256,967 B1 discloses a method and a system for automatically dispensing prescriptions according to a patient's order. The system includes at least one line of machines that can automatically fill a patient's prescription order with countable oral solid drugs and unit of use drugs, under the control of an appropriate control system. A robotic assembly may be used to manipulate and transport vials, canisters, and bins within the system. An unscrambler may be used to position the vial for pick up by the robotic assembly. The robotic assembly moves the vial to a vibratory dispenser where it is filled with a drug according to the patient's order. A labeler applies a patient specific label to the vial. Vials and unit of use drugs may be collected in accumulation receptacles prior to delivery to a patient.
The prescription filling stations of the prior art suffer from many drawbacks. Some devices require that a dispensed pill travel the same path as previously dispensed pills thus creating issues of cross-contamination. Other prior art devices duplicate technology, for example by replicating dispensing technology at every pill storage container, thus increasing the cost of the overall system. Many prior art systems require a lot of floor space, i.e. have a big footprint, and cannot be easily scaled as an institution's needs grow. Thus, the need exists for a pill dispensing system that does not suffer from issues of cross-contamination, does not unnecessarily duplicate technology, has a small footprint, and is easily scalable.